After posting three consecutive UFC victories as part of an overall 10-fight win streak, middleweight Gerald Harris got promoted to a pay-per-view main card and met highly touted promotional newcomer Maiquel Falcao at this past weekend’s UFC 123 event.

The fight, though, has been mired in controversy.

And though most of the criticism has centered on what appeared to be an early stop to a pivotal first round, an equally controversial choke also has been put under the microscope.

Harris (17-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Falcao (26-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) met at The Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit. Yet, despite both competitors’ finishing ability (together they’ve earned stoppages in 38 of their 43 combined wins), Falcao earned a unanimous decision in a pay-per-view fight that dragged through the final two rounds.

The first frame, though, is a whole different matter. Toward the end of it, Falcao took his opponent’s back, slapped on a rear-naked choke and torqued it before the horn sounded to end the round.

That’s when things got interesting. First, anyone with a stopwatch could determine the bout ended a good five to six seconds early. Secondly, Falcao initially refused to break the hold and only did so after referee Dan Miragliotta pried his arms off Harris’ neck.

Much of the event discussion justifiably has focused on the apparent shortened round time, which may have cost Falcao a submission win. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today spoke to an official from the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission, which currently is in fact-finding mode before determining its media strategy to address the issue.

But fewer folks are focused on the choke, which was held approximately three to four seconds after the horn sounded.

Harris discussed the topic with MMAjunkie.com Radio on Monday.

“I do think the choke was a little dirty minus the people that think the clock was stopped early,” he said. “He had the choke tight as hell, but I turned my chin in like I was taught. I have a great jiu-jitsu coach. I should have never given up my back, but I put my fingers in there. I didn’t tap like I lot of people thought. I was fine.

“I’m holding the choke just like you’re taught, turn your head or whatever. He’s squeezing the hell out of my neck and face, and I hear the horn. Miragliotta is like, ‘Time!’ If you watch me, I roll over and release my defense. But he’s still yanking for about three seconds. It doesn’t take a lot of time to choke someone out.”

Admittedly, Harris said his stamina paid a price.

“For one, I’m going to be a man and say he shouldn’t have taken my back anyway, so before I even go into him holding the choke too long, I’m going to say that,” Harris said. “But now, since I did (give up my back), I think it was a little dirty; there was a little extra (holding). It does take a lot out of you. I sat there for a second and looked up, and I was like, ‘Oh, man. This sucks.’ I was a little dazed. Anyone who’s been choked can tell you it takes a little (while) to come back from that. I wasn’t in survival mode. I just felt like I wasn’t ‘there’ at that time.”

One thing that has bothered Harris, though, is the conspiracy theory that the early stoppage was planned or orchestrated. But he can’t see the UFC, Michigan commission or anyone else risking such a public snafu simply to save his hide.

“A lot of people are saying there’s a conspiracy and they cut the time short in the first round so that I wasn’t choked out,” he said. “But if anybody, they’re not going to save my ass. … My name’s not even that big. … It’s just stupid for people to think that.”

With an especially lackluster third round, the fight was booed mercilessly at its conclusion. Harris thinks that’s a bit unfortunate given how dangerous of an opponent Falcao is.

“That guy is a bad dude,” he said. “If you give him 10 seconds, he’s on you like Mike Tyson. If you watch his tapes, he’s honestly like the Mike Tyson of Brazil. But I didn’t go out there to weather the storm.

“I think my jab threw him off … and I think him not attacking me threw me off. When he came in – nothing against him because he came in hard – we clashed heads. His forehead hit my temple. … We tied up in a Muay Thai clinch, and he hit me with like a ‘Mortal Kombat’ combo. Overall, it was just a tough fight. But I know it could have been 10 times more exciting. There was a whole lot of over-thinking.”

That’s why Harris was happy just to leave Detroit with a job. He got committed to a bad game plan, and he’s just happy he’ll have a chance to avenge the loss.

After all, with the UFC’s upcoming WEC merger, roster spots are at a premium.

“I’ll tell you right now in all honestly, with the way the UFC has the roster so thick, I’m truly blessed not to be in trouble after that (fight),” he said. “I’m just happy that I left that arena, I learned something, and I have another chance to prove myself. Hopefully, I did that in my last three fights.

“That last one, it wasn’t my fight. But no excuses at all. I had a great camp, my diet was good, everything was good. It was just a bad fight for me. … I just had the wrong game plan.”

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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